PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OP NATURAL SCIENCE. 
27 
but of illustrating from examples to be found all around 
us, and within the reach of everyone, the grand scheme of 
creation in so far as it pertains to the domain of natural 
science. But it is not on this aspect of the Museum that I 
wish just now to address a few remarks to you. It is 
rather on the subject of the collections considered as Perth¬ 
shire collections. 
Perthshire, as you may well imagine, does not contain 
many plants or animals that are not to be found in other 
parts of Britain, though it does really possess a few. Nor 
does Britain contain many that are not inhabitants of the 
rest of Europe; nor again, Europe, many that are not to 
be found in other parts of that great region called the 
Palsearctic Region, which stretches from Britain to Japan, 
and from the North Pole to North Africa and the Hima¬ 
laya. Therefore, in the kinds of plants and animals we 
will not be able to show in a Perthshire collection any¬ 
thing that might not be seen in a general British, or Euro¬ 
pean, or Palsearctic collection; and supposing that we had 
a list of what is to he found in Perthshire, we might by 
procuring specimens elsewhere be able to show examples 
of the kinds of animals and plants that are to be found 
within our boundaries without having a single Perthshire 
specimen amongst them. But to the scientific naturalist, 
who looks upon specimens as illustrating far more than 
classification, form, or structure (highly valuable as are 
specimens considered in this light), such a collection— 
gathered it may be from the four winds of heaven—is of 
infinitely less value than one in which every example has a 
local history, and serves to illustrate the peculiarities of a 
special district. At the present day great and just im¬ 
portance is attached to a knowledge of the geographical 
distribution of plants and animals. It assists not only in 
casting light upon the past history of the earth, and the 
various alterations in climate, &c., that have taken place, 
but also suggests ideas as to the relationship and origin of 
species. To exhibit in anything like its full extent this 
geographical distribution would tax the utmost resources 
of a large national museum, so that we need not for a 
moment dream of attempting it; but we can all the same 
do our part in the work by illustrating the distribution 
within the limits of our district. This, if carried out to 
the best of our ability, cannot fail to be most interesting 
and instructive to ourselves, and of great value to any 
naturalist who happens to visit our Museum. 
Though, as mentioned above, few of our plants or animals 
are not to be found in other parts of Britain, it does not 
necessarily follow that they are to be found in all parts of 
this island. Some of them attain their northern limit in this 
county, others their southern, or their eastern, or their west¬ 
ern; and it may and does happen that species which thus find 
their limit of distribution here may consequently be of 
rare occurrence with us. To show, therefore, that they do 
occur, it is very desirable that they should be illustrated 
by local specimens, and that, hence, no doubt can be cast 
upon their having occurred, as might be urged if the 
evidence was merely a name in a list. But within the 
county itself there is a considerable amount of variation in 
the distribution. As you are aware, the altitude of Perth¬ 
shire above sea-level ranges from 0 to 4000 feet, with 
corresponding differences in climate; you are also aware 
that the geological formations are of various kinds, and 
these, combined with the range of altitude, have a con¬ 
siderable influence on the distribution of species. Some 
seem to range throughout, others are limited by altitude, 
and possibly by the geological formation. How far these 
causes affect the distribution remains to be more com¬ 
pletely ascertained : and there is no surer method of find¬ 
ing this out than by the formation of collections from all 
parts of the county. If this is done, great light will be 
shed not only upon the agents which regulate the local or 
Perthshire distribution, but, I believe, more or less upon 
those which affect distribution in very much wider areas. 
Another very important matter that will be shown by 
making full collections of our local plants and animals is 
the amount of variation in specimens of the same species 
inhabiting different parts of the cbunty. The range of 
variation and its causes is a subject of paramount im¬ 
portance, and which, though perhaps most strikingly 
shown in specimens from different countries, yet to be 
understood (and it is far from being yet explained) must 
be studied in its initiatory stages, as exemplified in the 
variations shown by specimens from various parts of the 
same district. We in Perthshire are peculiarly favoured 
by having a district ranging through such different alti¬ 
tudes, and consequent changes of climate, &c. In some 
species the variation between (say) Highland and Lowland 
specimens is so striking as to be evident to the not very 
critical passer-by; but in other cases it is not apparent till 
specimens are placed side by side, when it at once becomes 
conspicuous. Hence the great importance of making collec¬ 
tions which will show whether there is any variation in 
specimens from different parts of the county. But it is 
not sufficient that we should have specimens from those 
parts of the district which present the most opposite con¬ 
ditions of altitude and climate. It will not suffice, for ex¬ 
ample, to have specimens from two such very different 
places as Invergowrie and Ben Lawers. We must have 
them from many intermediate localities; so that we may 
see by what steps the variation (if there is any) takes place. 
